Bowling ball



Oct. 17, 1961 c. FROST BOWLING BALL Filed Sept. 19, 1960 IN V EN TOR.

60A? F/FGJT United States Patent F 3,004,762 BOWLING BALL Curt Frost, 11 Lerome Place, Teaneck, NJ. Filed Sept. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 56,926 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-63) This invention relates to bowling balls, and more particularly to the finger hole of a bowling ball.

Bowlers carefully select a bowling ball having a desired finger spacing and size of finger hole to most comfortably fit the hand. Inmany cases bowling balls are made to order, with a view to providing optimum fit. However, the desirable size of a finger hole, and especially the thumb hole, may vary from time to time with climatic conditions, with the temporary state of the weight of the bowler, and other variable factors. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bowling ball in which a finger hole, particularly the thumb hole, may be adjusted in dimension without other change in the bowling ball. This adjustment is preferably obtained by means of an adjusting screw, and an ancillary object of the invention is to so locate the adjusting screw that it additionally serves as a means to hold a liner in the hole.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the bowling ball elements, and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bowling ball embodying features of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned elevation taken approximately in the plane of the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned elevation taken approximately in the plane of the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view corresponding to the lower part of FIG. 1 but showing a modification.

Referring to the drawing, the bowling ball 12 has a finger hole 14. A generally cylindrical liner 16 is received in the finger hole 14. The liner 16 is made of a somewhat yieldable material, and is longitudinally split on one side, as shown at 18. An adjusting screw 20 is threadedly received in the bowling ball 12, and is directed generally transverse of the diameter of the split 18. The screw 20 so bears against the side of the liner 16 that the screw may be used to gradually compress and thereby reduce the size of the effective finger hole formed by the liner.

As usual the ball 12 is preferably provided with a plurality of finger holes, there being not only the finger hole 14, but two additional finger holes 22 and 24. These holes may or may not be lined. The hole 14 is a larger hole, and is intended to receive the thumb. The gap 18 of liner 16 is preferably located remotely from the holes 22 and 24, so that the thumb bears against a smooth continuous surface. In the bowling ball here illustrated only the thumb hole is adjustable in size. However, it will be evident that either or both of the holes 22 and 24 may be lined, and further that their liners may be split, like the liner 16, and provided with adjusting screws.

Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 4, which corresponds to the lower part of FIG. 1, and which shows oversized finger holes 26 and 28 with liners 30 and 32. These liners are split at 34 and 36, and the eflfective size of the finger holes may be adjusted by means of adjusting screws 38 and 40. The thumb hole is not shown, but is also lined and adjustable, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

Reverting to FIG. 3 of the drawing, the exterior of the liner 16 is recessed at 42 to receive the inner end of the adjusting screw 20, and the screw 20 is directed inwardly of the bowling ball so that the screw acts as a means to hold the liner 16 in the oversized hole, as well as acting as a means to adjust the effective size of the finger hole.

3,004,762 Patented Oct. 17, 1961 the axis of screw 20 is disposed at an angle of forty-five degrees to the axis of the hole. When tightened the resulting force provides two components, one of which is radial (relative to the liner) for adjusting the size of the liner, and the other of which is axial (relative to the liner or radial relative to the bowling ball) for holding the liner in the ball. The surface 50 is also at an angle of fortyfive degrees.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in the specific case here shown the axis of finger hole 24 is at an angle of sixty degrees relative to the axis of thumb hole 14. However, this angle may vary in accordance with the needs or wishes of the individual bowler.

Again, by way of example and not in limitation of the invention, in the particular case here shown the diameter of the oversized thumb hole is 1% inches and its depth is 2% inches. The diameter of the cut away or channeled parts of the liner is 1%; inches. The slot 18 has a width of inch, and the adjusting screw has a diameter of inch.

The liner is made of a somewhat yieldable or elastic material. Many of the present day plastics materials may be used, and indeed materials already in use as liners may be used, for the change in dimension produced by adjustment of the screw is comparatively slight.

However, although the adjustment is small, I have found that it is highly important and is beneficial to the bowler, as shown by resulting improvement in scoring, in many cases by as much as twenty-five percent.

It is believed that the construction and method of use of my improved bowling ball, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in several preferred forms, changes may be made in the structures shown, without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling ball having a finger hole, a generally cylindrical liner received in said finger hole, said liner being made of a somewhat yieldable material and being longitudinally split on one side all the way from top to bottom, and an adjusting screw directed generally transversely of the diameter of the split, so that the screw may be used to compress and thereby reduce the size of the finger hole formed by the liner.

2. A bowling ball having a plurality of finger holes, one of said holes being oversized, a generally cylindrical liner received in said oversized hole, said liner being made of a somewhat yieldable material and being longitudinally split on the side remote from the other finger holes, said split extending all the way from top to bottom, and an adjusting screw directed generally transversely of the diameter of the split and bearing against the side of the liner, so that the screw may be used to compress and thereby reduce the size of the finger hole formed by the liner.

3. A bowling ball having a plurality of finger holes, one of said holes being oversized for use as a thumb hole, a generally cylindrical liner received in said oversized hole, said liner being made of a somewhat yieldable material and being longitudinally split on the side remote from the other finger holes, said split extending all the way from top to bottom, an adjusting screw threadedly received in said bowling ball and directed generally transversely of the diameter of the split andbearing against sideof the liner, so that the screw may be used to compress and thereby reduce the size 'of the thumb hole formed by the liner.

4 A bowling ball as definedin claim 1m which the exteribr of thefliner. recessed to receive the inner end oifthe aforesaid adjusting screw, fand in which the -adjusti'ng fscrewr directed inwardly of the bowling ball, so flrat the screw a'cts gas armeans to hold thef'liner in the hole,.as well'as to adjust the *elfective size of the finger hole. 'i

si s meg-ens defined in tclaim 2 in which the exte rionofrthe liner is recessed to receive "the inner end of the aforesaid adjusting screw, and in which'the adjustingi screw is ,directed'mward lyofthe bowling ball, so that hole, as well 'as' to efljust the efiectiv'e the thumb.

' s a acts asameans tohold the liner in the -over- 15 2,566,511

hole. V

5 ReferencesCited in the file-of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,021,490 fSculIy Mar. 26, 1912.

Bassi Sept. 4, I951 Darby Aug. 6, I940 Max. 

